I just acquired a mixed sex lot of these at the Feb. 18 meeting. Intent is to get population up to about 100. What is the minimum length females need to be to spawn? I would like to separate females from breeding group to condition a larger number for synchronis spawning. Haw anyone seen these fish spawn where multiple females are ripe at the same time. What I want is for multiple males to be fertilizing eggs instead of just one or two.

It appears first spawn is imminent. I have two definite males and one definite female with three smaller fish of unknown sex. Both males larger than female. Fish have been eating well since stocked into 45-gallon tank. Tank has particulate substrate dominated by silica sand, cat litter, crushed oyster and snail shells. A couple large rocks covered in filamentous algae provide the dominant structure that occupies about 1/3 of the tank bottom. All fish retreat to that rock when disturbed.

Signs of imminent spawning first involved construction of breeding site under large rock. He maintains breeding dress at all times while subordinate male develops lesser breeding coloration. Dominant male also displaying jet black pelvic fins. Female abdomen is distended and area above urogential opening is expanded. Urogenital opening has not yet descended although activities of dominant male towards her is consistent with female producing pheromones. Female now developing barring with spot on caudal peduncle largely obliterated. She is also becoming more aggressive giving open mouth display to other fish. She also does not flee dominant male when he approaches. I doubt 24 hours will pass before she is holding.

Initially I had to colored up males. One has dropped breeding coloration and has taken on a female look. It is also the subordinate. Growth has accelerated and it is now larger than the dominant by almost double the weight. I have seen this in Haplichromis burtoni and other critters like crayfish. Some delay reproduction to reach larger size where more competitive.

Soemthing potentially very interesting going on. Substrate matrix is a mixture of silica sand, cat litter, and crushed oyster shell. Breeding site constructed by dominant male appears to no longer repressent the mixture it started with. Male appears to have systematically removed the coarser particulates leaving a uniformly sandy central area surrounded by piles of the displaced coarser materials. Also, even though the coarser materials have been removed, there is no depression as if the male collected sand from elsewhere to fill it.

Two behaviors evident among the fry. Dominant three are taking on a yellowish cast to vertical fins and maintain discrete feeding territories. The balance are together displaying a linear hierarchy, Aggression very evident, especially among the smaller fish.